Sterilizing holder for toothbrushes



R. F. HURLEY.

STERILIZING HOLDER FOR TGOTHBRUSHES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28, |920.

Patentd Jan. 4, 1921..

INVENTOR JQFJCu/rleff new and useful Sterlizing Holder for Tooth- UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

BOY l'. HUBLEY, OF GALEBVILLE, WISCONSIN.

BTERILIZING HOLDER FOB TOOTHBBUBHEB.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 51921.

Application led February 28, 1920. Serial No; 362,086.

`To all 'whom it ma comem Be it known t at I, Roy F. HURLEY, a citizen of the United States, residin at Galesville, in the county of Trempea eau and State of Wisconsin, have invented a brushes, of which the following ishal specification.

My invention has for its purpose to provide a simple, neat and economical tooth brush holding device that is especially designed for rendering sterile the tooth brush, when placed therein, and in whlch the brush may be quickly placed after use and as quickly removed therefrom, when it 1s deslred to use the brush. p

My invention comprises, essentially, abox or holder body that includes an elongated hollow extension into which the brush handle is readily entered, an enlarged or head portion for receiving theY bristle head of the brush and a removable cap for engaging with the outer end of the handle receiving extension that has an attached means for containing an antiseptic gas generating substance, a` cap for the brush head receiving end being also included, which latter, in

connection with the antiseptic substance.

holder keeping the said holder closed air tiY ht, when the brush is conta-ined therein.

n its more subordinate features, my invention embodies means within the holder for keeping the brush firmly in place and against rattling, while carrying-t e -boX or holder, other details of construction being also embodied in the complete arrangement of m brush holding device, all of which will ully appear in the following detail description, specifically pointed out in the appended claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whlch:

Figure l is a perspective view of my brush holding device and illustrates the manner in which the brush is inserted therein.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof with a brush contalned therein.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device, parts being in horizontal section.

Fi 4 is a cross section of the same, on the llne 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the combined closure cap and antiseptic or gas generating substance holder.

In the practical development of my 1nvention, the body 1 of the holder is preferably made of hard rubber, although ltmay be made of aluminum or other suitable material. v

The said body 1 is in the nature of a boxhke receptacle that includes a head ortion 2 open; at the outer end and shaped or convenlently recelving the bristle or head portion of the brush 4 and to provide an air tlght closure of the said end, the said brush head recelvmg portion includes a cap 3 that 1s hlnged at the front edge of the part 2, the meetln faces of the parts 2 and 3 being prefera ly at an incline, as shown, and for holdmgthe said faces closed air tight, a leaf sprlng 5 is attached, by a rivet 6, to the inner side of the top 30 of the box portion 3 the free end of the said spring 5 being-curve and. extended for engaging with a companionsprlng 8 that is rlveted to the inside of the top portion 20 of the part 2, the free end of the two springs mentioned bein so shaped and adapted for effecting a tlght closure of the cap 3, when the latter is swung down to the closed position, as is clearly shown by'full lines 1n Fig. 2, and for holding the said cap at the turned up or open posit1on, as indicated in dotted lines in the aforesaid Fig. 2.

9 designates a shank-like extension of the box or body and the said shank merges with the part 2 and is of a reduced area and so shaped, in cross section, see Fig. 4:, that it will snugly receive the brush handle, see v Fig. 2, and for holding the brush against rattling within the holder, a curved leaf spring 10 is riveted to the bottom of the brush shank receiving portion of the holder and Wlth its free end 11 curved upwardly,

ywith respect to the head portion 2 of the the top 'of the brush head. w "en the latter is.

placed, as indicated in dotted lines on Fig. 2,it being obvious that the connection of the spring members 8 and 5, that constitute the lock for holding the cap 3, to its opened or closed position, operate to firmly hold the brush down toward the bottom of the boX 2, when the cap is swung down to the closed position in the said Fig. 2.

The end of the extension 9 is Isomewhat enlargedv and terminates in a circular chamber l2, the outer end of which is internally threaded, as at 13, for receiving the threaded screw cap 14 of a container 15, the latter,

. when screwed home, as indicated in Figs. 2

and 3, serves as an air tight closure means i'or that end of the holder.

The container 15 is in the nature of a perforated cylinder, the inner end of which is closed by a. perforated disk 16 that is removably'held within the said end of the cylinder in any suitable manner.

The outer or cap end oi" the container is provided with a hinged bail for hanging' the sterilizer, when not in use, and to facilitate unscrewing the cap, the latter may be provided with a. transverse groove, as indicated at 14 in Figs. 4 and 5, for the insertion of a dime or knife blade.

Cylinder l5 is provided for receiving any brush holding devices of the class to which m. invention relates.

hat I claim is:

A device of the character described com prising a receptacle in which is included a restricted hollow extension adapted for receiving the shank of a tooth brush and having its outer end shaped for receiving a disinfectant holder, the other end of the re-v ceptacle being formed into an enlarged chamber adapted for receiving the head of the brush, a leaf spring that is secured at one end to the bottomof the restricted hollow extension and Whose free end is upwardly curved, whereby to form a restricted o )ening for the passa e of the tooth brush s ank, between 1t and the top of the restricted chamber, and adapted to engage the neck end of the brush handle to hold the said handle in contact with the said chambered top and the brush from rattling, the` said brush head receiving chamber being open at the outer end, a closure ca for such opening, said cap being hinge ly connected to swin outwardly from the head receiving cham er, and means for holding the cap to its opened andA closed positions, the said means including a leaf s ring member that opposes the spring mem er secured to the bottom of the hollowextension of the holder and which is projected for positioning over lthe brush head, when the latter has been pushed into the holder.

ROY F. HURLEY, D. D. S. 

